Puños Carmesíes
Los Puños Carmesíes '''(o '''Puños Escarlatas, según algunas fuentes) son un Capítulo de Marines Espaciales Leales y un Capítulo Sucesor de la Segunda Fundación de la Legión de los Puños Imperiales. Los Puños Carmesíes se encuentran al borde de la extinción, ya que su Fortaleza-Monasterio fue destruida y sus integrantes fueron casi aniquilados cuando los Orkos del WAAAGH! Snagrod se abalanzaron, en el 989.M41, sobre el Sector Loki del Segmentum Tempestus y sobre la base de su capítulo en el Mundo de Rynn. Aun así, los Puños Carmesíes siguen combatiendo, aguantando los golpes del cruel destino con un estoicismo que les ha hecho legendarios a lo largo y ancho del Imperio. Incluso entre los grupos de élite de los Marines Espaciales, os supervivientes Puños Carmesíes son vistos como guerreros sin parangón, forjados en el fuego de la más terribles y desesperadas de las batallas. Como podría esperarse de unos Sucesores de los Puños Imperiales, los Puños Carmesíes son guerreros testarudos y firmes, reacios a rendirse o capitular mientras sea posible conseguir la victoria. Sin embargo, el roce del Capítulo con la aniquilación total ha templado su ardor con lúgubre realidad. El futuro de los Puños Carmesíes depende ahora de un puñado de Marines Espaciales cuyas vidas han de ser empleadas en conseguir mayores recompensas que el calmar sus orgullos personales. Hoy día los Hermanos de Batalla de los Puños Carmesíes luchan por algo más que el Emperador de la Humanidad, el honor o el renombre. Luchan para que su Capítulo consiga sobrevivir para conseguir, en un día quizá no lejano, revivir sus pasadas glorias. Aunque se inició como un Capítulo basado en flota, los Puños Carmesíes están bien adiestrados como defensores del Sector Loki en el Segmentum Tempestus. En dicha región hay activos incontables imperios Orkos, que representan una amenaza constante para los intereses del Imperio. Con el tiempo, los Puños Carmesíes se han vuelto especialmente expertos en combatir contra dicha clase salvaje de xenos, aunque se han enfrentados asimismo en incontables batallas contra un amplio espectro de adversarios a lo largo y ancho de la Galaxia. Como sucesores de los Puños Imperiales mantienen con orgullo el legado de Rogal Dorn mientras a la vez siguen los preceptos y enseñanzas del Codex Astartes. Historia Formación y Cruzadas Tras el trágico conflicto conocido como la Herejía de Horus, Roboute Guilliman, el Primarca de la Legión de los Ultramarines, redactó su sagrado manual de guerra, el Codex Astartes. Con la creación del tomo, Guilliman exigió a sus hermanos que siguieran su ejemplo y dividieran a sus Legiones de Marines Espaciales en Capítulos de Marines Espaciales, de unos 1000 miembros, de forma que ningún comandante volviera a tener la oportunidad de controlar el poder de una Legión enetra de Astartes.dividiendo that his brothers accept his example by dividing their own Space Marine Legions into 1,000-member Space Marine Chapters so that no single commander could ever control the power of an entire Astartes Legion again. Initially, Primarch Rogal Dorn of the Imperial Fists Legion was opposed to such a notion. He argued that more than ever before, it was crucial for his Space Marines to remain as a consolidated Legion so that they could continue to work closely together in order to protect the Imperium from the remnants of the Traitor Legions. This issue became an increasingly critical point of contention between the two Primarchs, as their arguments grew in intensity. Ultimately, following the events known as the Iron Cage, Dorn eventually relented, choosing to concede to Guilliman's demands and allow the surviving Astartes of his Legion to be divided into three Chapters. Two of the Chapters formed from the Imperial Fist Legion were the Black Templars and the Crimson Fists.The Crimson Fists Chapter's members were selected by Dorn from those Astartes who had been most recently initiated into the VII Legion, with the exception of its leaders, who were all Veterans.The newly Founded Chapter's first Chapter Master was Alexis Polux, a Battle-Brother who had won the Primarch’s respect countless times. Known as much for his massive physical size and prowess as his leadership and tactical expertise, Polux led the Crimson Fists for the first 800 standard years of their existence. During this time, he did much to shape their interpretation of the Codex Astartes and their combat doctrines. The Crimson Fists were a crusading Fleet-based Chapter for the next nine millennia much like their brother Chapter the Black Templars. The Crimson Fists travelled throughout the Imperium, defeating the enemies of the Emperor. Their Battle-Barge Rutilus Tyrannus served as their mobile fortress-monastery, though a large fleet of additional Strike Cruisers supported it. Across the ages, the Crimson Fists built a reputation of loyal service and utter competency in the fight against any who would oppose the Imperium of Man. Much of their activity was focused within the Loki Sector of the Segmentum Tempestus, but this was not the only region of the galaxy in which they defended the realm of the Emperor. No matter the nature of the foe, this Chapter remained loyal to the Imperium and its sacred cause, answering the calls of both the Inquisition and the Adeptus Administratum throughout their long service. No matter the nature of the foe, these Battle-Brothers remain loyal to the Imperium and its sacred cause. Their service has led to that trust being reciprocal, to the extent that twice the Chapter has been assigned to eliminate other Space Marine Chapters that have embraced heresy. These were the Sons of Gideon, who surrendered to madness, and the Marines Vigilant, whose minds were shattered by xenos exposure. Perhaps their most famous Crusade was the Crusade of Righteous Liberation fought for 300 Terran years during the 36th Millennium that nearly destroyed the Chapter, leaving only 128 Crimson Fists Astartes remaining before it was completed. Unlike the Black Templars, the Crimson Fists showed a more rigid adherence to the Codex Astartes, and tended to maintain close ties with the Loki Sector. It was not until almost eight hundred years into the 40th Millennium that the Crimson Fists were granted feudal rights to their own Chapter planet, Rynn's World, which was located in the Loki Sector. The world was granted to the Chapter as a reward by the High Lords of Terra for their success in the Voltigern Crusade. Over the course of this Crusade, the Crimson Fists had blunted countless significant Ork forces within the sector, preventing them from unifying into a single overwhelming threat. The proximity of Rynn's World to several of the Crimson Fists' primary recruiting worlds like Blackwater in that sector was ideal, and the Chapter constructed their fortress-monastery, the Arx Tyrannus, from the dismantled remains of their ancient Battle-Barge Rutilus Tyrannus in the middle of the inhospitable and frigid Hellblade Mountains of the planet's southern continent. Fanáticos sirvientes While many Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes are firm in their beliefs and zealous in defending the Emperor's Imperium, the Crimson Fists' zeal is, if anything, greater than usual. This Chapter trait has lead to the Crimson Fists being called upon numerous times by the High Lords of Terra to exterminate their fellow Space Marine Chapters who have been declared Excommunicate Traitoris. At least three such instances have been recorded in Imperial history. The first such occurred after a routine examination of the gene-seed of the Chapter known as the Sons of Gideon revealed that it had mutated to such an extent that the Space Marines of this Chapter had been driven insane by a chemical imbalance. The Crimson Fists mercilessly destroyed the Sons of Gideon's homeworld of Gideon IV and then hunted down the Sons of Gideon's 3rd Company which had escaped the initial assault and had been butchering its way through the 4 billion citizens of the Colar System. The second Chapter the Crimson Fists took action against was the Marines Vigilant, who had come under the influence of a strange and rare Warp entity that had wiped away the Chapter's willingness to engage in combat. Tragically, the Marines Vigilant put up no resistance at all as the Crimson Fists bombarded their verdant homeworld into a wasteland. The third Chapter the Crimson Fists fought against were the Soul Drinkers. Dark rumours persist that there were 3 Second Founding Chapters of the Imperial Fists, the final one being the Soul Drinkers. For unknown reasons, in the last century of the 41st Millennium the Soul Drinkers were declared Excomunicate Traitoris and all records of the Chapter were destroyed by an Inquisitorial Edict of Obliteration. Somehow these Renegade Space Marines escaped destruction. On Entymion IV, an entire Battle Company of the Crimson Fists sought to eradicate the remaining traitors of the Soul Drinkers. Remarkably, the Soul Drinkers not only out-maneuvered the Crimson Fists but managed to escape the planet as well. While the Crimson Fists did manage to foil a brewing plot concocted by a Dark Eldar Kabal, the Chapter was furious that the Soul Drinkers had escaped the righteous retribution of the Emperor. The Crimson Fists' willingness to sanction their fellow Space Marines has earned them a reputation as the High Lords of Terra's lapdogs by the more unorthodox Chapters such as the Space Wolves, White Scars and the Exorcists. La Batalla del Mundo de Rynn In 989.M41, an Ork Warlord known as Snagrod, the Arch-Arsonist of Charadon, united many of the warring Ork factions surrounding the Loki Sector and began a massive WAAAGH!, taking several human colonies with minimal resistance, Snagrod boasted that his next conquest would be Rynn's World. WAAAGH! Snagrod’s first primary attack against the Imperium occurred when they conquered the lightly defended colony world of Badlanding. The world’s Imperial citizens cried out for aid, and the Crimson Fists' 3rd Company responded in force. However, due to faulty intelligence, the Space Marines suffered a brutal defeat at the hands of overwhelming numbers of Orks. The size of Snagrod's forces had been significantly underestimated, and only a few Space Marines escaped to relay vital intelligence back to Chapter Master Pedro Kantor. Kantor ordered the immediate recall of all Crimson Fists, and set about organising the defences of Rynn's World. When Snagrod's WAAAGH! hit Rynn's World, it was with a force unseen among Orks since the Second War for Armageddon. The Chapter recalled all of its forces to Rynn’s World, in preparation for a defensive action against the oncoming Ork WAAAGH!, suspending any further raids until further information became available. After all of the Crimson Fist companies had returned, but before the Chapter could plan a counteroffensive, the WAAAGH! Snagrod reached the Rynnstar System. The Chapter responded by enabling their many tiered, tactically capable, and technologically sophisticated network of orbital defensive satellites. The system annihilated the initial waves of Ork Roks, Kroozers, and planetary assault craft. Then, tragedy struck when one of the planet’s defensive missiles suffered a catastrophic failure. The weapon never made it out of the atmosphere, and instead crashed back into the Crimson Fists' fortress-monastery from which it had been fired. There, its plasma warhead detonated and in the course of the explosion detonated the structure’s vast and ancient arsenal. Secondary explosions ripped through the fortress-monastery destroying it and killing hundreds of Space Marines who had gathered to plan the counter offensive against the Ork WAAAGH! Only sixteen Space Marines, including Chapter Master Pedro Kantor, managed to survive the devastating explosion. As the Crimson Fists' fortress-monastery served as the primary control for the world's defensive satellites, with its destruction, the planet’s defensive network collapsed. The Ork invaders were able to nearly overwhelm the planet’s resistance as they descended to the world’s surface.The survivors, forced to move stealthily through territory captured by the Orks, were able to link up with a detachment of Crimson Fists assigned to defend Rynn's World's capital, New Rynn City, in the process remaining awake for 328.7 standard hours. There, they reunited with nearly four hundred surviving Crimson Fists Battle-Brothers who were shocked to find their Chapter Master yet lived. Faced with the destruction of the vast majority of his Chapter at Rynn's World, Kantor was faced with a choice few Chapter Masters have ever had to make. He could lead the remnants of his decimated force in a vainglorious last stand, determined to slaughter as many of the enemy as possible before succumbing to their overwhelming numbers, or, as he eventually chose, he could marshal his resources and deploy his remaining force in missions that favoured small, elite units, looking to the eventual rebuilding of the Chapter and retaking of his world. It has been noted that many Chapter Masters in Kantor's position would have chosen the former option, ensuring their Chapter a place in legend rather than accept their virtual defeat. It is to Kantor's eternal credit, and is a mark of a leader of superior character, that he made the choice he did, for the Imperium can ill afford the loss of such a fine Chapter of Astartes as the Crimson Fists. The survivors held out against the encroaching Orks for eighteen standard months until a massive Imperial Navy fleet arrived in 990.M41. The newcomers, which included multiple regiments of the Imperial Guard, contingents from several different Space Marine Chapters and several battlegroups of Imperial Titans, managed to rout the xenos forces from the planet and liberate the surviving Space Marines and people of Rynn's World. However, the damage had been done. In addition to losing their fortress and nearly 60 percent of their brethren, the Chapter also lost much of its irreplaceable gene-seed stock and ancient wargear. The effort to fully cleanse the planet of Greenskin taint took many years. The Rynn's World Campaign resulted in catastrophic losses for the Crimson Fists, with the Chapter almost completely wiped out. As a result, Kantor's primary focus is currently on rebuilding the Chapter. Though famous across the Imperium as Ork fighters, Snagrod's WAAAGH! has induced a deep hatred of Greenskins within the Chapter, and it is said that Crimson Fists Space Marines will go to any lengths to defeat any Ork forces they encounter. The Crimson Fists are often on the move, no longer having a true home base and reverting to their ancient practice of operating as primarily a Fleet-based Chapter. Yet, they often return to Rynn's World to mourn the Battle-Brothers who died so heroically in its defence. Campañas notables * The Crusade of Righteous Liberation (Date Unknown.M36) - The Crusade of Righteous Liberation was the most legendary military campaign executed by the Crimson Fists in their history. The Crusade lasted for over three hundred Terran years before the Crimson Fists had given up their original role as a Fleet-based Chapter and settled on their new homeworld of Rynn's World. This Crusade occurred during the Age of Apostasy when the Imperium was wracked by internal strife. In total, 84 worlds were reconquered by the Crimson Fists over the course of the Crusade. The Chapter's numbers dwindled as a result of attrition during the long campaign, because the Crimson Fists were unable to recruit new Initiates to replace their losses whilst on Crusade. Only 128 Crimson Fists were left at the successful conclusion of the Crusade, and forever after the Chapter's 1st Company has always been kept at 128 Astartes in memory of this time, and is always led by the Crimson Fists' Chapter Master. Known as the Crusade Company, it is considered a bad omen if the Chapter goes to war without the 1st Company being at full strength. * Chapter Dispute (819.M41) - A perceived slight causes the Mortifactors and Crimson Fists to come to blows. Only a personal intercession by the Ultramarines' Chapter Master Marneus Calgar ends the dispute before it escalates into open warfare. The matter is kept from the attention of the Adeptus Terra. * Battle of the Steel Cross (853.M41) - During the decisive moments of the Battle of the Steel Cross, Captain Cortez single-handedly slew an Ork Warlord and his entire bodyguard. Cortez had managed to disarm the Ork leader with a twist of his torso after the Ork's sword had become embedded in Cortez's ribs. * The Toran VI Massacres (934.M41) - The Crimson Fists defeat the warband of Chaos Lord Sathash the Golden. * The Declates Crusade (Date Unknown.M41) - The Declates Crusade was a joint Imperial Crusade against the Ork WAAAGH! Gitzmott carried out by both the Crimson Fists and Black Templars Space Marine Chapters in the heavily-populated Declates System. As a symbol of solidarity against what seemed to be an innumerable foe, Astartes from both Chapters "exchanged" iconography and often fought in mixed squads. Black Templars painted their left hands red, and Crimson Fists painted a Templar Cross onto their right knee. This unusual gesture of unity helped establish a tight bond that steeled the resolve of the brave warriors involved in the ultimately successful cleansing of the system from the Greenskins' taint. * Battle of Rynn's World (989-990.M41) - The Battle of Rynn's World began in mid-989.M41 when the Ork Warlord Snagrod, the Arch-Arsonist of Charadon, united the warring Greenskin factions bordering the Loki Sector and launched the largest WAAAGH! the Peryton 163 Cluster had seen since the Great Crusade, attacking the isolated Imperial Agri-world of Badlanding. The Imperial defenders of Badlanding were utterly unprepared for the invasion, and within days the only major strongpoint of resistance was the capital city of Krugerport, where the remnants of the 18th Mordian, 24th Lammas and 49th Boros Imperial Guard Regiments, commanded by Commissar Alhaus Baldur, put up a bold, but ultimately doomed, defence. Confident that he had the world in his grasp, Snagrod put out incessant, ranting broadcasts, boasting that his next conquest would be Rynn's World, which lay only a few weeks Warp travel from Badlanding. Chapter Master Pedro Kantor responded immediately, despatching the 3rd Company under Captain Ashor Drakken to Badlanding to stall the Ork WAAAGH! and determine its strength. The Battle of Krugerport was a tragic defeat for the Crimson Fists who found WAAAGH! Snagrod to be far larger and more aggressive than any could have predicted. In the resulting defeat, the Crimson Fists suffered a loss of 56 Space Marines out of a detachment of 84; Captain Drakken was among the fallen. The handful of Space Marines that survived the battle were able to escape to bring valuable intelligence back to Rynn's World. Upon hearing of the size and strength of the Ork war host, Chapter Master Kantor ordered the immediate recall of all Chapter companies fighting away from Rynn's World, mobilised the Planetary Defense Force, and prepared for the inevitable invasion. When the WAAAGH! Snagrod hit Rynn's World, it was with a force unparalleled by any other Ork invasion save for the second Greenskin assault on the Hive World of Armageddon that would come 9 standard years later. As the Ork dropships and “Roks” fell through the night sky, the Chapter’s automated defence systems responded, and all was well until a malfunctioning plasma missile from the Space Marines’ surface-to-space defence system, in a trillion to one malfunction, impacted the Crimson Fists’ fortress-monastery. The errant missile scored an impressively accurate, if altogether unintentional, hit on the fortress-monastery's main Armoury. The arsenal, the fortress-monastery, the mountain, and an area half a mile wide were instantly atomised. The Chapter was almost obliterated in the ensuing holocaust Only 16 Crimson Fists garrisoned in their fortress-monastery survived its destruction, including Pedro Kantor and Captain Alessio Cortez. These Astartes then traveled overland while protecting what civilians they could until they linked up with what remained of the Chapter in New Rynn City. There they held out against the Ork siege of the city. The siege of New Rynn City ground on for 18 months, but the Crimson Fists maintained their stoic defence of the beleaguered city until Imperial reinforcements which included 6 Space Marine Chapters finally arrived in 990.M41, 18 months after the invasion began, to drive the Orks from the world, although small pockets of Greenskins would remain to trouble the planet's reconstruction for years afterwards. These reinforcements arrived just in time, as the Orks had constructed a series of Gargant war machines that not even the Crimson Fists' heroism could have repelled. The Chapter's losses in the wake of the reclamation of Rynn's World proved most grievous, with the loss of 60% of the Chapter's Battle-Brothers. * Zeist Campaign (999.M41) - The Zeist Campaign was a military conflict fought between the Imperium of Man and the Tau Empire in the Zeist Sector of the Ultima Segmentum. Taking place in 999.M41, during the Tau Empire's Third Sphere Expansion, it ran concurrently with Abaddon the Despoiler's 13th Black Crusade and the assault on Imperial space by the Tyranid Hive Fleet Leviathan. As the Imperium's military was heavily involved with preventing the breakout of the Forces of Chaos from the Cadian Gate on the other side of Imperial space, the Tau took advantage of this distraction to rapidly expand their territory. Marneus Calgar despatched Captain Cato Sicarius and the 2nd Company to the Zeist sector where they would draw a line in space to halt the Tau advance. Word was also sent to all nearby Chapters, asking for aid in the coming campaign. Heeding the Lord of Macragge's summons, the Crimson Fists send fresh tactical squads to be placed under Sicarius's command. Putting aside all rivalries of Chapter and status to fight as brothers against a deserving foe, a formidable strike force of close to a dozen Space Marine Chapters assaulted the Tau occupied world of Augura. They Tau could not hope to prevail against such an assemblage of might. The fortresses of Augura were smashed asunder and its shipyards and weapons factories destroyed. This effectively ended the Tau expansion as their forces retreated to more secure territory in dismay. Though fully prepared to carry the assault into the Tau Empire and reclaim those worlds captured at the start of the campaign, it was not to be, for the might of the Adeptus Astartes was needed elsewhere. Organización The Crimson Fists are classified as a Codex Astartes-compliant Chapter, because they are strict followers of the sacred tome with only a few minor variants. At the end of the Crusade of Righteous Liberation in the 36th Millennium, only 128 Marines were left in the Chapter. Since that time the Crusade Company (1st Company) has always numbered 128 Space Marines. Since the Crimson Fists started as a crusading Chapter, they always had access to a large, well maintained fleet of starships. Although many vessels were lost over Rynn's World, the surviving fleet was more than capable of entangling the Orks' space forces until the Imperial Navy was able to reinforce the system. With few exceptions, the Crimson Fists are compliant with the Codex in terms of organisation and battlefield procedures. They consistently follow the tactics presented in the Codex, efficiently making use of different standard units in the manner that sacred tactical manual requires. Their training is broad and all-encompassing, so that the Chapter can effectively counter opponents who use vastly different tactical approaches to battle. In this way, the Crimson Fists quickly adapt their tactics to defeat any who would oppose the will of the Imperium. Their millennia of active Crusading also necessitated that the Crimson Fists would have a higher number of specialists than the Codex dictates. During this time, they assembled a significant armada of Battle-Barges and Strike Cruisers. Since their settlement of Rynn’s World, the Chapter has maintained the size of this fleet. Their Techmarines traditionally maintain the fleet’s vessels as well as the Chapter’s vehicles. Every major vessel also maintains at least one Apothecary to insure that gene-seed may be harvested and secured until needed. After the Battle of Rynn's World, the Crimson Fists found themselves in the interesting position of having more specialists than standard Battle-Brothers. The Chapter's Apothecaries and Techmarines have been forced to take on roles not normally assigned to them, although without their skills the Chapter would have dwindled beyond repair within a few years. The process of rebuilding the Chapter has been slow and arduous, although any rush would result in complications that would corrupt or destroy the Chapter at a later date. A number of Scout Squads have been inducted into a newly formed Tenth Company, and are said to be forging the future of the Chapter with their every action. Various Imperial sources seem to conflict over the actual number of Battle-Brothers who survived the Rynn's World Campaign. One set of records record that just after the destruction of their fortress-monastery, but before the battle for Rynn City began in earnest, the Crimson Fists numbered 400 Battle-Brothers, mostly those stationed in Rynn City, in their Fleet and on outlying settlements. However, given the length of the Battle of Rynn's World, it is unlikely that anything even approaching that number of Space Marines were still alive at the end of the campaign. One quote made in reference to the Crimson Fists mentions the fact that a Chapter reduced to less than a company of Battle-Brothers is unlikely to recover. However, an additional record mentions that the Crimson Fists fielded four "reduced companies" at the turning of the millennium. Given that this is less than a decade after the end of the Rynn's World campaign (997.M41), it is unlikely that the Chapter has managed to "graduate" many new Battle-Brothers from its reduced Scout Marines cadre. While the actual number of Crimson Fists Marines who survived the Rynn's World campaign is unknown, it seems fair to assume that, by the end of the 41st Millennium, the Chapter is unlikely to field more than 200 Battle-Brothers. Títulos y rangos especiales As Scions of Rogal Dorn, the Crimson Fists are regarded as a Codex Astartes-compliant Chapter, as their organisation, order of battle and tactical operations adhere closely to the tenets laid down in that most sacred of tomes for the Adeptus Astartes. There are, however, several noteworthy and substantial deviations from the Codex's prescribed doctrine. Most notable among these deviations are the use of certain honourific ranks and titles within the Chapter in place of the standard Space Marine ranks, which include the following: * Lord Hellblade - Noble title accorded by the people of Rynn's World to the Chapter Master of the Crimson Fists, who is recognised as a member of the Imperium of Man's feudal nobility with Rynn's World as his demesne. Lord Hellblade is also always the commander of the Chapter's elite Crusade (1st) Company. * High Chaplain - Informal title for the Crimson Fists Reclusiarch who serves as the Master of Sanctity for the Chapter. * Master of the Librarius - The title used by the Chapter's Chief Librarian. * Master of the Technacarum - The formal title used by the Chapter's Master of the Forge. * Master of the Shield - Title held by the Captain of the 2nd Company. * Master of the Line - Title held by the Captain of the 3rd Company. * Master of the Charge - Title held by the Captain of the 4th Company. * Master of the Watch - Title held by the Captain of the 6th Company. * Master of the Gates - Title held by the Captain of the 7th Company. * Master of Blades - Title of the Captain of the 8th Company. * Master of the Siege - Title of the Captain of the 9th Company. * Master of the Shadows - Title of the Captain of the 10th Company. * Master of the Fleet - Rank held by a senior headquarters Astartes of the Chapter with proven void combat experience, rather than a company Captain. * The Chosen - The Chapter's Serfs are made up of failed Astartes Aspirants collectively called "The Chosen," who serve the Chapter in multiple combat support roles. It is from these Serfs that messengers, skilled labourers and even the Chapter Master's Major-Domo are all drawn. Bibliotecarios Puños Carmesíes Like their fellow Astartes Chapters, the Crimson Fists also maintain a Librarium of potent psykers who are highly talented and trained to master the power of the Warp at the highest levels. Each Chapter selects its Librarians in its own way, either from seed worlds, as it does with the bulk of its Initiates, or from the ranks of gifted psykers brought to the Scholastica Psykana of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica. Most Chapters train and test chosen psykers following the ancient traditions laid out in the Codex Astartes. Librarians of the Crimson Fists are trained in this way, and, with few minor traditional variances, have been taught to live by the word of the Codex. Crimson Fists Librarians have a number of unique psychic abilities only used by the psykers of their Chapter, including: * Bloody Fist - Crimson Fists Librarians have mastered powers which aid them in the destruction of xenos, especially those with tough hides and thick skins that might thwart a normal attack or rob it of its power. With the Bloody Fist power, the Librarian infuses his melee attack with extra force, allowing him to inflict some damage even if his blow does not breech the creature's armour or hide. * Enduring Duty - Duty is paramount to a Crimson Fists Space Marine and even when the shadow of death falls upon him or his companions he will continue to fight on to the end. The Librarian steels his own spirit or that of one of his companions to fight on, even when the body should have given up and all hope is gone. Either the Librarian or a single ally within range can be the target of Enduring Duty. While this power is maintained, a Battle-Brother can continue to fight on, even after suffering mortal wounds which will eventually kill him, ignoring his fatigue and extreme pain. * Hammer of Man - The Crimson Fists Librarian focuses his hatred of xenos into a tangible force which he projects out around him, causing pain and anguish to any sentient beings who are not human. Reclutamiento Though Rynn's World is the Crimson Fists' home, it is not a planet from which they actively recruit. During their millennia as a crusading Chapter, the Crimson Fists established the practice of recruiting on many worlds of the Loki Sector. While a few had significant technological bases, the Chapter has generally recruited preferentially from Feral Worlds such as Blackwater, which is situated relatively close to Rynn's World. The natives of this world are renowned for their ferocity and courage, but are far from barbarous primitives. They are a noble people, whose lives are a daily struggle against adversity, and it is this stoic nature that makes them such ideal raw material to become Crimson Fists. While Aspirants are sometimes taken from other worlds, this practice has become increasingly uncommon. However, the Crimson Fists have never sought out those who engaged in savagery for its own sake. Rather, they seek the most appropriate candidates who are characterised by a combination of honour, athleticism, and stoicism in the face of overwhelming odds. However, the Crimson Fists also now recruit from Rynn's World itself and other worlds near to it. Having been a fleet-based Chapter for several millennia, the Chapter had grown accustomed to recruiting from many worlds but always came back to Blackwater and several nearby star systems for a steady source of reliable recruits, making the move to become a ground-based Chapter relatively simple. The Chapter annually travels to Blackwater to conduct the Festival of the Bloodied Fist. Through the course of this ceremony, Aspirants are subjected to a battery of trials that are used to evaluate their martial, mental, and spiritual prowess. Few of those who attempt the trial make it to the later stages. For those who do, the final challenge requires a worthy Aspirant to travel deep into the planet’s toxic swamps and kill a barb dragon with their bare hands. Each year, there are few who manage to complete this brutally challenging test. However, those who successfully survive are far more likely to complete their initiation into the Crimson Fists Chapter than are Initiates with most other Chapters. Upon recruitment, a Crimson Fists Neophyte will serve in the Chapter's 10th Company as a Scout Marine just as in any other Codex Astartes-compliant Chapter. Upon completing the ritual known as "The Steeping," the Neophyte goes on to become a full Battle-Brother of the Chapter and takes his place in one of the Crimson Fists's Reserve Companies. Failed Aspirants, primarily those whose bodies proved metabolically and/or immunologically unable to accept the Chapter's gene-seed and Astartes implants, become Chapter Serfs. Semilla genética As a Successor Chapter of the Imperial Fists Legion, the Crimson Fists share their genetic legacy with that First Founding Chapter, and have inherited many of the characteristics of their common Primarch, Rogal Dorn. The Chapter's gene-seed is highly stable, though the Imperial Fists', and therefore the Crimson Fists', genome is lacking the Betcher's Gland that allows a Space Marine to spit corrosive acid, and the Sus-an Membrane that allows him to enter a life-sustaining state of deep hibernation. The Crimson Fists' gene-seed is remarkably stable and healthy, free of all other major mutations and Chaotic contamination. Were it not, it is unlikely that the Chapter could have survived the multiple incidences of extreme loss that they have suffered during their history. As a result of these losses, the Chapter has been forced to recruit new members at rates substantially higher than would normally be expected. Under such conditions, the failure rate of the surgeries required over the course of an Initiate's career increases substantially, a fact that is likely due to the heavy workload of individual Apothecaries. The Chapter only narrowly escaped extinction during the destruction of its fortress-monastery on Rynn's World. According to the Genetors of the Adeptus Mechanicus, a Chapter reduced to less than a single company of brethren has only a 20-25% chance of long-term survival, for the failure rate of the Progenoid Glands will often preclude the successful harvesting of new gene-seed, resulting in an inability to induct new brethren. It was only the Chapter's superior gene-seed that saved it from extinction, for the Crimson Fists have been reduced to less than a company of brethren, yet seem more than capable of rebuilding their numbers—however it will take many decades before those numbers are at anything approaching the Chapter's full strength. Like their Founding Chapter, the Crimson Fists are more than willing to fight to the last, holding their ground with a siege-like mentality which will see them triumph or die in the attempt. This expression of duty can become exaggerated in members of the Chapter after long periods in combat, especially against numerous and unrelenting foes like the Ork hordes of a WAAAGH! In these instances the Battle-Brother sees only death; the death of his comrades, the death of his world, and the death of his foes. A Crimson Fist believes that the only righteous path lies in the expenditure of his life for these purposes and he faces his death with a stoic heart and a single-mindedness that can only lead to the complete annihilation of everything and everyone he faces, eventually including even himself and those who fight beside him. Mundo natal Rynn's World is a feudal Agri-world within the Loki Sector. Its primary exports have historically been particularly exotic foods, which became renowned delicacies among the Imperial nobility of the sector. The world is largely isolated from other human-inhabited planets, but the Crimson Fists' presence has led to the implementation of an extensive planetary defence system. Further, the Chapter’s actions during the Voltigern Crusade in the 40th Millennium significantly mitigated the Ork presence within the sector. The Crimson Fists have little direct involvement with the human population of Rynn’s World. Their fortress-monastery, the Arx Tyrannus, is located within the Hellblade Mountains. The huge structure’s main hall is dominated by a statue dedicated to the memory of The Great Father, Alexis Polux, which remained within the Chapter's former Battle-Barge for centuries before it was dismantled and reconstructed as the Crimson Fists' fortress-monastery. With its arrival on Rynn’s World, the restructured fortress-monastery's main hall continued to serve as one of the Chapter’s most sacred sites until it was destroyed during WAAAGH! Snagrod's attack. The Chapter has been heavily involved in the reconstruction of much of Rynn's World's infrastructure in the years since the world was reclaimed by Imperial forces from the Orks of WAAAGH! Snagrod, though it is currently unknown if they have begun the process of reconstrucing the Arx Tyrannus or have chosen to establish a new fortress-monastery altogether. Arx Tyrannus The Arx Tyrannus, the former fortress-monastery of the Crimson Fists, was situated in the Hellblade Mountains of the Sorocco Province on Rynn's World. It comprised a central citadel surrounded by buildings dedicated to the Chapter Reclusium, Apothecarion, Technicarum and other specialist enclaves. At its heart was the sacred Monument Hall where the names of every fallen Battle-Brother of the Chapter were inscribed. The Arx was protected by a curtain wall featuring four mighty towers known as the Sercia, Protheo, Marez and Laculum Bastions. It was an anti-ship torpedo fired from the Laculum Bastion that ultimately destroyed the Arx Tyrannus during WAAAGH! Snagrod's invasion of Rynn's World in 989.M41. Roughly 600 Astartes were within the Arx Tyrannus when it was destroyed and the loss of all but 16 of them was the greatest loss of life the Chapter has suffered since the Siege of Barenthal. At its height, the Arx Tyrannus was staffed by specialised Chapter Serfs, including a senior Astropath known as The Monitor who presided over the fortress' Communicatus, and the Major-Domo who served as the overseer of the Chapter Serfs and the personal attendant and confidante to Lord Hellblade himself. The last serving Monitor was Durlon Cholo, while the last Major-Domo was a failed Aspirant named Ramir Savales. Savales had been a promising recruit to the Chapter but was unable to become a Space Marine when his body rejected the Astartes implants and the genetic alterations initiated by the gene-seed's viral machines. Savales' direct predecessor was a man named Argol Kondris. As with many of the Chapter's serfs, Savales became Major-Domo after being selected as an apprentice to Kondris, which was a tradition for many of the more important positions held by the Chapter's support staff. All but 400-odd Chapter Serfs were killed when the Arx Tyrannus was lost, and none within the fortress survived the explosion. In addition to the Arx Tyrannus, the Crimson Fists possessed a Chapter keep known as The Cassar within New Rynn City, an orbital dock known as Raxa Station that serviced the Chapter fleet and had lunar tracking stations on Rynn's World's moons of Dantienne and Syphos. Of these assets, only The Cassar apparently survived the invasion of the Arch-Arsonist and his WAAAGH!. It is unknown at this time if the Crimson Fists will begin the reconstruction of the Arx Tyrannus or move their fortress-monastery to an entirely new location. El Cassar The Cassar is a Chapter keep of the Crimson Fists that was situated in the Zona Regis, also known as the Silver Citadel of New Rynn City. The Citadel is situated on a small island at the center of New Rynn City, with the rapid flowing River Rynn on either side. The Cassar and the entire Silver Citadel are protected by potent Void Shields which made it the most protected location on the planet next to the Arx Tyrannus itself. With the destruction of the Arx Tyrannus, the Crimson Fists based themselves within The Cassar until such time as the Chapter can salvage the ruins of the Arx Tyrannus and build a new fortress-monastery. Fortunately, 400 Chapter Serfs and nearly 30 Servitors were despatched to The Cassar to prepare it for Snagrod's invasion, ensuring that the Chapter still possesses some of its original support services as it attempts to rebuild its strength. Doctrina de combate When the Crimson Fists Chapter was formed, Primarch Dorn granted Chapter Master Polux its membership from among the most recently initiated members of the Imperial Fists Legion. While these Battle-Brothers were thoroughly trained and loyal men, they were among the Legion’s most levelheaded members. Because of this, the new Chapter Master was able to more effectively implement the teachings and new traditions of the Codex Astartes. With few exceptions, the Crimson Fists are very consistent with the Codex in terms of organisation and battlefield procedures. They usually follow the tactics presented in the Codex, efficiently making use of different standard units in the manner that sacred tome describes. Their training is broad and all encompassing, so that the Chapter can effectively counter opponents who use vastly different tactical approaches to battle. In this way, the Crimson Fists quickly adapt their tactics to defeat any who would oppose the will of the Imperium. Their millennia of active crusading also necessitated that the Crimson Fists would possess a higher number of specialists than the Codex dictates is proper. During this time, they assembled a significant armada of Battle-Barges and Strike Cruisers. Since their settlement of Rynn’s World, they have maintained this fleet. Their Techmarines traditionally maintain the fleet’s vessels as well as the Chapter’s vehicles. Every major vessel also maintains at least one Apothecary to insure that gene-seed may be harvested properly and secured until needed. While the Chapter has served throughout the galaxy, they have made the Loki Sector their primary base of operations for millennia. As the sector has been dominated by Orks since humanity first encountered the region, the Crimson Fists have engaged in countless wars with these savage xenos. Though they are not specifically devoted to overcoming these foes, the Chapter’s Battle-Brothers are well versed in Ork psyche, physiology, and tactics. The near-constant supply of Ork warbands in the region makes this training necessary and profoundly useful. As this ability has become associated with the Chapter, the Adeptus Administratum and even the Inquisitorial Ordo Xenos have often requested assistance from the Crimson Fists when significant Ork forces gather throughout the Imperium. As successors to the Imperial Fists, the Chapter does show a marked competency with defensive engagements. The Chapter’s Warp-capable vessels and fortress monastery are all thoroughly defended. Even their first engagement as a Chapter after their Founding involved defending an Imperial colony on Uralek Prime from a substantial force of Eldar Exodites. During the nine thousand years of their Crusade, the Crimson Fists became skilled at combating many alien species, most notably the Orks. These skills have been valuable to the Inquisition, with many members of the Chapter serving terms with the Ordo Xenos' elite Deathwatch. Captain Octavius, an Imperial Fist seconded to the Deathwatch once commented that no other Chapter has provided as many Space Marines to the Deathwatch as the Crimson Fists. As a result, the Crimson Fists are among the most highly regarded xenos fighters in the Imperium. Captain Octavius also ruminated on the loyalty and sense of duty possessed by the Chapter and its Astartes. Despite their severe losses on Rynn's World, the Crimson Fists continue to second Battle-Brothers to the Deathwatch. In fact, no less than one quarter of Captain Octavius' own eight-man Kill-team were Crimson Fists. Though famed for their stubborn, intractable defensive actions, much like their progenitors, the Imperial Fists, after the Battle of Rynn's World, the sheer number of casualties suffered by the Crimson Fists has prevented the Chapter from fighting in the way prescribed by the Codex. Instead, Chapter Master Pedro Kantor has fielded his surviving Astartes as infiltrators and guerrilla troops, attacking specific, high-value targets in an attempt to minimise casualties as opposed to engaging enemies in open battle. This will change in the coming decades once the Crimson Fists begin to refill their depleted ranks. Creencias Chapter Master Polux reorganised his Battle-Brothers in a format that followed closely with the structure proscribed by the Codex Astartes. However, he continued to follow many of the tactics and traditions that he had learned at the hand of the Primarch as a member of the Imperial Fists. For this reason, the Crimson Fists remained expert at defensive actions, just like their progenitors. The Chapter maintained the tradition of permitting a single warrior to assume the heraldry and status of the Emperor’s Champion prior to entering a major conflict, but this practice has only been invoked upon rare occasions. Similarly, the Crimson Fists are one of the twelve Chapters that participate in the Feast of Blades, alongside the Imperial Fists. Through the centuries, as the Chapter continued to develop and build its own traditions, they began to maintain a series of sacred days within each year. These were devoted to honouring and commemorating -- but never worshiping as divine beings -- the Emperor, their Primarch Rogal Dorn, and the Great Father Alexis Polux. The most important of these dates is the Day of Foundation, in honour of the Chapter’s creation after the tragedy of the Horus Heresy. To celebrate this day, all available members of the Chapter congregate at the fortress-monastery, while those who are on missions far from Rynn’s World hold private ceremonies. Extracts from the writings of Alexis Polux and Rogal Dorn are read to the assembled Battle-Brothers, and then individuals recount tales from the Chapter’s history and a few more recent events. In this way, the brethren are reminded of the works of their ancestors and how they continue to be applied today. The Chapter has come to embrace the Codex Astartes, including much of its core philosophy as regards preparation for battles. Their use of oral history as a reminder of their ancestors actions, their ability to adapt to battle against hundreds of different races of xenos, and their aptitude for all phases of warfare all leave the Crimson Fists as a Chapter that is capable of facing with a broad range of different opponents—a lesson that they had to learn through the course of their extended Crusades. Through their time as a fleet-based Chapter, the Crimson Fists became adept at warfare against the many xenos foes present in the galaxy. At the same time, their constant warfare against the Ork scourge of the Loki Sector has led to a particular focus against those foes. The Chapter has a proud history of service amongst the Deathwatch, which enables them to both hone and share these techniques with other Kill-team members. The Crimson Fists never hesitate to demonstrate their devotion to the Imperium and embody it with their battle cry, "There is only the Emperor. He is our shield and our protector!" Tradiciones y rituales The Crimson Fists are noted for practising a number of traditions and rituals unique to their Chapter: * Miracle of the Blood - A sacred ritual that is observed by the Crimson Fists is known as "The Miracle of the Blood," which is performed once every standard year on the Chapter's Foundation Day. A group of 20 or so Chaplains collectively known as the Sacratium perform the ritual in which a small portion of Rogal Dorn's blood, preserved for 10,000 Terran years in an ornate scepter, reverts from a dried lump to liquid blood once more before the eyes of the onlookers. The Miracle of the Blood is a constant reminder to the Chapter that their lost Primarch is still with them in spirit. * The Steeping - When a Crimson Fists Scout Marine is ready to be elevated to the status of a full Battle-Brother, he participates in a ritual known as "The Steeping" in which the Scout submerges his left fist into the blood of one of his kills. The ritual reflects the right of the new Astartes to wear the crimson gauntlet that is the namesake of the Chapter over his left fist. * Gauntlets - Once a Crimson Fist Neophyte becomes a full Battle-Brother, his left gauntlet is painted crimson. Upon becoming a member of the Crusade (1st) Company, he is allowed to paint his right glove crimson as well. The most honoured Crimson Fists warriors are gifted with one of the Chapter's ancient Power Fists as a symbol of their might at arms. * Ork Bone Talismans - Ork teeth and skulls are a common sight among the trophy rooms of the Crimson Fists Chapter and some Battle-Brothers carry these talismans into battle as a reminder of their prowess over the alien. While this can sometimes be a whole skull or the ragged banner of a vanquished Ork clan, more often it is a tooth carved into a relief showing a great victory of the Chapter or the slaying of a large and powerful Nob. While such a token reminds the Battle-Brother of his skill over the Ork, the sight of them can also inflame any Greenskins who see such a trophy, spurring them on to greater efforts to slay the Space Marine. * Emperor's Champion - The Crimson Fists, true to their ancestry, have been observed on occasion to field an Emperor's Champion. While the Crimson Fists traditionally fielded an Emperor's Champion far less frequently than other Imperial Fists Successor Chapters such as the Black Templars, there have been occasions recorded when a Battle-Brother on the eve of battle was overcome by visions of the Emperor. These Battle-Brothers would take up the Black Sword and the Armour of Faith and lead their brethren into battle. However, no instance has been recorded of the Crimson Fists fielding an Emperor's Champion since the destruction of the Chapter's fortress-monastery on Rynn's World in 989.M41. It is entirely possible that the sacred vestments of office were lost in the fortress' destruction. It is also possible that no brother has taken up the vestments of the Emperor's Champion since the Battle of Rynn's World, but given the great loss suffered by the Chapter it is likely that many relics were lost forever, and some may never be replaced. * Day of Foundation - Through the centuries, as the Chapter continued to develop and build its own traditions, they began to maintain a series of sacred days within each year. These were devoted to honouring and commemorating, but not worshiping, the Emperor and their Primarch and Great Father Polux. The most important of these dates is the Day of Foundation, in honour of the Chapter’s creation after the tragedy of the Horus Heresy. To celebrate this day, all available members of the Chapter congregate at the fortress-monastery, while those who are on missions far from Rynn’s World hold private ceremonies. Extracts from the writings of Alexis Polux and Rogal Dorn are read to the assembled Battle-Brothers, and then individuals recount tales from the Chapter’s history and a few more recent events. In this way, the brethren are reminded of the works of their ancestors and how they continue to be applied today. This sort of critical introspection is encouraged by the Codex Astartes, but actually practised by very few Space Marine Chapters, whose pride will often preclude any admission that they have anything to learn from past mistakes, or indeed that their predecessors erred in any way. Servicio entre los Guardianes de la Muerte For centuries the Crimson Fists have waged the Emperor’s wars against the alien, fighting in all corners of the galaxy against a vast myriad of xenos. However, none have suffered as much under the blades and bolts of the Chapter as the Orks, and over the years the Battle-Brothers of the Crimson Fists have become exceptionally skilled at dispatching the greenskinned alien warriors. Such is the skill the Chapter has displayed against the Orks that both Imperial forces and the xenos themselves have taken note, and Imperial commanders are quick to request the Crimson Fists should they fall under the shadow of a WAAAGH! The Deathwatch recognises the Crimson Fists' hard-won expertise, and over the course of many centuries a strong relationship has been forged between the Deathwatch and the Crimson Fists. Many of the most senior and adept Battle-Brothers of the Chapter have served within the Deathwatch and honed their combat arts for its Inquisitors. These men make sure that the Deathwatch has its due and many within the Crimson Fists are seconded for service, an arrangement which benefits both the Chapter and the Ordo Xenos. The result is that Crimson Fists have both great pride for their place in the Deathwatch and a great responsibility to live up to the Long Vigil's expectations. This can sometimes grate with the other members of a Crimson Fists Astartes' Kill-team as the Space Marines of other Chapters consider them aloof and entitled, as if the right to wear the silvered shoulder plate of the Deathwatch was always their due and not something to be earned only through glory and death. Apariencia The Crimson Fists paint their Power Armour deep blue, with crimson trim and white markings. When a Neophyte joins the ranks of the Chapter his left glove is painted crimson, symbolic of Rogal Dorn's tradition of cutting the palms of new recruits and sharing his blood with them directly, creating a bond between them, upon reaching Veteran status his right glove is also painted crimson. The Chapter's badge is a direct copy of the badge of the Imperial Fists but in the Crimson Fists' colours, with a crimson fist and roundel on a deep blue background. Galería Puño_carmesí.jpg|Pedro Kantor, Señor del Capitulo de los Puños Carmesíes. Astarte_Puño_Carmesí.jpg|Exterminador de los Puños carmesíes. Puños_carmesies.jpg|Escuadra de Puños Carmesíes. Astarte_puño_carmesi.jpg Crimson_fists.jpg|Pedro Kántor en Rynn. 40k_006.jpg|Los Puños Carmesíes combaten contra el ¡Waaagh! Snagrod. Archivo:670px-Battle_of_Rynns_World.jpg 1314037517814.jpg|Apotecarios de los Puños Carmesís, durante el ataque del ¡Waaagh! Snagrod. Crimson_Fists_Last_Stand.jpg|Última Defensa de los Puños Carmesíes. Leer más Lista de Capítulos de Marines Espaciales. Lista de Capítulos Leales. Lista de Capítulos Sucesores. Fuentes Extraído y traducido de Wikihammer 40K UK. * Codex: Ángeles Oscuros (4ª Edición). * Codex: Marines Espaciales (Ediciones 3ª-5ª). * Codex: Cazadores de Brujas (3ª Edición). * Codicium Imperialis. * Deathwatch: Honour the Chapter. * Deathwatch: Rising Tempest. * Deathwatch: Rites of Battle. * Programa del Games Day Reino Unido (1999). * Cómo Pintar Marines Espaciales. * Imperial Armour II. * Insignium Astartes. * Planetstrike (4ª Edición). * Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader. * White Dwarf 94 y 338 (Edición inglesa); 235, 248, 275, 288 y 314 (Edición estadounidense). * Lágrimas Carmesíes, por Ben Counter. * Deathwatch, por C. S. Goto. * Héroes de los Marines Espaciales - Un Odio, por Aaron Dembski-Bowden. * Leyendas de los Marines Espaciales - La Reliquia, por Jonathan Green. * Mundo de Rynn, por Steve Parker. * Progenie Guerrera, por C. S. Goto. Categoría:Capítulos de Marines Espaciales Categoría:Segunda Fundación Categoría:Descendientes de los Puños Imperiales Categoría:Capítulos Leales Categoría:Artículos para traducir